There has been a ton (I measured it) of speculation about where Jarvis Jones would go in this year’s NFL Draft.  Almost as much speculation as there was about his potential for spine problems.  After USC decided not to gamble on the talented linebacker, he finished his NCAA career as a Bulldog at the University of Georgia.  He may be the best player in this draft, but teams must know that they could be taking a chance that his spinal stenosis will result in injuries that could then lead to missed games.

Jarvis Jones celebrates his QB hit that caused a fumble (Bob Self/The Times-Union)

A sampling of the mock drafts of 50 NFL reporters and analysts (note that I didn’t call them experts) had 16 votes for Jarvis being the 15th pick of the draft, going to the New Orleans Saints. » Continue reading “Jarvis Jones Finds a Home in Pittsburgh”

Week 17

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Time: 1:00 PM

TV: CBS

Site: Heinz Field

Last Meeting: 11/25/12, L 14 – 20

Cleveland Browns on Aerys: Dawg Treats

The Pittsburgh Steelers wrap up a disappointing 2012 season by taking on the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. The Steelers will hope to end the season on a high note despite the absence of Ike Taylor, Mike Wallace, and team MVP Heath Miller. All three are injured and will finish the season on Injured Reserve.

The Black and Gold will take on a Browns team that in all likelihood will be playing to keep their jobs. With an offseason to mull things over, the new owner of the Cleveland Browns may look to make some personnel changes.

No job is safe on the Steelers side of the ball either. The Steelers made waves this past offseason by cutting veterans such as James Farrior and Hines Ward to make room under the salary cap. Between the salary cap and the lackluster season, the Rooneys may be looking to make changes of their own.

Week 14

San Diego Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Time: 1:00 PM

TV: CBS

Site: Heinz Field

Last Meeting: 10/04/09, W 38-28

San Diego Chargers on Aeyrs: Nuts & Bolts

Ben Roethlisberger makes his return for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Huzzah! He’s back just in time to take on Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are in the middle of a four game losing streak, two of which to AFC North opponents. Before Steeler Nation gets overly confident with the return of Big Ben, it’s good to remember that this is a Steelers team that lost to the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans while Big Ben was under center.

» Continue reading “Week 14 Preview: San Diego Chargers Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers”

December is here, and that means two things: I really should start my Christmas shopping, and I can’t start my Christmas shopping because the Steelers are making their final push for the playoffs.  Coming off a huge upset win in Baltimore against their division rival the Ravens with 3rd string QB Charlie Batch, the team received excellent news when HC Mike Tomlin announced on Thursday that Ben Roethlisberger would resume his role as starting QB when the San Diego Chargers come to Heinz Field for the week 14 matchup.

The 4-8 Chargers season is all but over, having lost 7 of the last 8 games.  Just this week President Dean Spanos was doing damage control when it was reported that he had already decided to fire HC Norv Turner and GM AJ Smith at the season’s end…although he never directly said it wasn’t true.  The Chargers are 0-14 when playing at Heinz Field, and it’s likely the Steelers will make it 0-15.  Then again, we all know the Steelers have a tendency to let weaker teams hang around and struggle to put the game away early. » Continue reading “Steelers Eve: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers”

Pittsburgh Steelers 23 Baltimore Ravens 20

Step back from that ledge, Steeler Nation. After last week’s embarrassing performance in Cleveland and Charlie Batch starting against the Ravens, things weren’t looking to great for the Steelers.

Chill out, y’all. Charlie Batch has got this.

» Continue reading “World’s Oldest Man Leads Steelers To Victory In Baltimore”

Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Baltimore Ravens 13

The Steelers lost a very winable game against the Baltimore Ravens. Despite missing key players like Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu, the Steelers stayed close with the AFC North-leading Ravens. However, the absence of Big Ben and Troy really hurt the Steelers tonight.

Byron Leftwich scored the Steelers’ only touchdown on the second play of the game by scampering for 31 yards. He appeared injured at the end of the run, but stayed in the rest of the game. For the most part, it was all downhill for Byron after that. He ended up going 18 for 39 for 201 yards with one interception and extremely poor time management skills. Burning two timeouts in the red zone so early in the second half is inexcusable, and only managing a field goal out of it didn’t make it any better.

With Leftwich struggling and possibly injured, you’d think the offense would lean heavily on the run game. You’d think. But alas, that was not to be. Even though Jonathan Dwyer had a strong game with 55 yards on only 12 carries and running very well in the second half, it seemed to be too little too late for the Steelers.

» Continue reading “Steelers Can’t Overcome Numerous Mistakes Against Ravens”

Pittsburgh Steelers 24 New York Giants 20

Don’t let the final score fool you. This game should not have been that close.

The Steelers defense continued its dominance despite the absence of Troy Polamalu. Eli Manning was held to 125 yards on the afternoon and was only 10 for 24. Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley brought plenty of pressure and each had a sack for their efforts. Ike Taylor even had an interception.

You read that right. Ike Taylor actually held onto the ball for a pick.

On offense, Ben Roethlisberger had another steady game. He was 21 for 30 for 216 yards and two touchdowns. However, the star of the game had to be Isaac Redman. Redman got the start due to injuries to Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Dwyer, and made the most of it, rushing for 147 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. After a dreadful start this season and numerous injuries each week, the running game has finally found its rhythm. This is the third straight week a Steelers running back has run for over a hundred yards.

The receiving corp stepped up after Antonio Brown left the game due to injury. Jerricho Cotchery made the most of his opportunities with four receptions for 50 yards. Mike Wallace had a beautiful catch and run for a 51 yard touchdown. I don’t know about you, but when Ike Taylor and Mike Wallace both hold onto the ball in the same game it makes me kind of wonder if they Myans were right and the world really is ending.

With all that said, why was this game so close? Well, the refs for one. The Steelers also making bone-headed plays also didn’t help.

Now, I hate blaming the refs on the outcome of the game. Good teams find ways to overcome bad calls. But wow, did the Giants ever receive the benefit of some bad calls. Their first touchdown was set up in part to a long pass interference call on Keenan Lewis. Lewis had good coverage on the play, but apparently “pass interference” apparently means “personal space bubble violation.” Later on in that series the Giants got new life after a goal-line stand when Ryan Clark was flagged for a “blow to to the head after the play”. Upon review of the play, Clark hit Victor Cruz in the shoulder after Taylor deflected the pass, but just before the ball hit the ground. I not only question the ref’s perception of reality, but also his perception of anatomy.

» Continue reading “Steelers Overcome Bad Calls And Botched Plays To Beat The Giants”

Last week in Cincinnati, the Steelers finally claimed their first road win…and the defense reclaimed some of its swagger.  Returning home to Heinz Field, the Steelers now face the explosive offense of the Redskins, led by rookie sensation Robert Griffin III.  Can the Steelers finally break their record and win two in a row?  Or will the 2nd best defense in the league let a rookie QB run up the score?  Here’s a few of my thoughts on the state of the team as they head into week 8:

1. The Skins may have RGIII, but the Steelers have a pretty good QB last I checked.  Roethlisberger is thriving in OC Todd Haley’s offense.  While he may not be completing as many passes > 20 yards as last season, the dink and dunk offense has kept Ben protected while the running game develops.  He hasn’t chenged his identity and continues to extend plays by escaping the pocket…but he’s choosing his opportunities much smarter, and it has kept him off the injury report for the first half of the season. » Continue reading “Steelers Eve: Washington Redskins @ Pittsburgh Steelers”

If you don’t call James Harrison, he will probably headbutt you and the people you love.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Self, wouldn’t it be great if the Steelers released a video of them somewhat miming the lyrics to a popular song. It doesn’t matter that everyone has released a parody video to this song. It would be better and unique with Terrible Towels!”

We’ll, you are in luck my friend.

The Steelers released their own “Call Me Maybe” video, because why not. The video features scenes from around training camp, including Brett Keisel and his tractor, Ike Taylor and LaMarr Woodley jamming in the weight room, and a special guest appearance by James Harrison. I’m sure Mike Wallace is really bummed that he missed out on all this fun.

» Continue reading ““Call Me Maybe” Videos Are Still A Thing… I Guess”

Pittsburgh Steelers 26 Indianapolis Colts 24

If the whole point of football is to kick the most field goals, the Steelers dominated this game. In reality, the Steelers were kind of meh. At best.

The Steelers jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead thanks to a couple of highlight-reel plays by Antonio Brown and Ike Taylor. Brown’s 57-yard TD reception started off as a simple screen pass, and then he broke a couple of tackles, crossed the field to avoid defenders, and then did a flip into the end zone. I don’t know how you can get any more Madden NFL than that. Meanwhile, Ike Taylor boost the lead to 14-0 on a pick six, which is amazing enough for Ike Taylor.

While the starters played into the second quarter, they did nothing since Taylor’s interception. The offense stalled and the defense allowed Andrew Luck to move the ball all over the field. Charlie Batch came in to relieve Ben Roethlisberger, but the Steelers were unable to get anything going on offense. Possibly because Batch was under a lot of pressure.

David Gilreath essentially willed the Steelers to win, what with him actually catching the ball and his awareness of the first down marker. Back-up back-up quarterback Jerrod Johnson also showed some great awareness of the first down marker by scrambling for a first down, and then cutting back into the field to keep the game clock rolling late in the game. His scramble help set up the game-winning field goal, which was actually blocked by the Colts.

Other observations:

• The Steelers showed a very run-heavy offense. Jonathan Dwyer was the leading rusher with 43 yards on 8 carries, despite injuring his shoulder in last week’s game in Philadelphia. Newly signed Jason Ford had 42 yards on 8 carries late in the game.
• The Steelers managed to win the turnover battle and time of possession.
• Unfortunately they continued their habit of settling for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. Stop that.
• Ryan Clark was all over the field making plays. As usual.
• LaMarr Woodley had the Steelers’ only sack on the evening. The Steelers had plenty of opportunities for more sacks, but poor angles and lousy tackling did them in.
• I don’t care which defense is in. You can’t give up a first down on third-and-long.

The Steelers will have a short week of practice, as they travel to take on the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.